Timing worked out perfectly to release this episode on Memorial Day as my guest Rob Cook served in the United States Air Force for 21 years. I would love to acknowledge Rob as well as all current and retired military members for their service, especially on this day. Thank you for your service.  Rob shares openly and freely throughout our entire conversation. I was excited to have the chance to ask Rob about how he was able to bring fun and laughter into the military, personal training, and coaching. He shares so many personal stories that truly shows he walks the walk. He was the perfect guest to have on the show too because he loves to incorporate laughter and fun into his business and life.  Today's word of the day is definitely laughter. If you are drinking while listening to this podcast please feel free to take a sip every time you hear either Rob or I say the word laughter. This week's food and drink for thought is, "When was the last time you laughed?"  Top Topics :  Loving the feeling of falling as much as I love the feeling of flying.  When you feel better you listen better. I meet people where they are.  "Keep it Clean." Rob shares his experience with creating a talent-show during his time in the military and extending it all the way to Iraq. Having fun with this talent show never took away from how they treated their training. It brought people closer together and helped people take things lighter.  Laughing is one of the only things that I know has to happen in the present.  "Laugh often." Rob shares this is one of his values.  Discover the story behind how Rob and I got our nicknames you see in the title of the episode.  Laughter is like the secret sauce to the recipe. Tapping into fun and laughter just opens up a spot within us to just create.  It is a timing thing. There is a flow to it. There are still going to be tough times and difficult things we face. There is definitely a balance to it. Laughter is a prerequisite to doing things and provides that balance. There are ways you can play without being silly or without even laughing.  If I don't have laughter on its own. I won't go to bed without laughing.  "I'm just as serious as they are without all the erghhh."  The "erghhhh" doesn't make me perform better. Pressure doesn't help or make me perform better.  Rob admits he doesn't work out because it is fun. He works out because he knows it's good for him.  Movement is what I'm most encouraged by. Moving often. In coaching business, talk to as many people as you can. When you go outside that's your clientele. "I'll stop anyone anywhere."  "Have you ever met a stranger? I don't think I have. I'm comfortable talking to anyone."  Rob talks about his trainer. Even though he's fitness and mindset coach there are still some days that he doesn't want to work out.  Rob gets vulnerable with his story about his program that ended up with no participants. "I was so upset for about 3 minutes."  Just believe that what you're doing is meant to be what you're doing. You're the only one that's doing it.  Please stayed tuned until the end to hear our response to the question, "What is the meaning of life?"  Have the day you deserve.  Connect with Rob :  https://imrobcook.com/ Listen to his Podcast "We're Listening" :  https://3pgc.org/3pgc-podcast/?fbclid=IwAR3WqP_Wkrv6yQmaGWWmaSPD2HSNzx4WUbewGpiF8vHu8CaRUG14b97cbkE

This week's episode includes two of the most incredible women I've had the pleasure of meeting over the last year. Mer and Kristy are simply amazing and their love and friendship is shown so beautifully throughout this conversation. We hit on big topic around the idea of showing up to the park or the playground. We revisited this metaphor multiple times and spoke about "what if you're already on the playground" and "how it's different when we show up as kids vs. when we show up as adults?"  Today's word of the day is "playground." Kristy brought this metaphor into the conversation without realizing it was the title of the show as well, which makes it so much better. If you would like to play a drinking game while you listen please have a sip every time you hear one of us say the word "playground." The food and drink for today is, "What if I'm already on a playground and I'm just making it serious?"  Top Topics :  "I only do things I am drawn to do. I don't know why I'm drawn to them and don't question it anymore."  "What are you drawn to? What is it that you see that you want?" "It doesn't mean you have to ditch your job and your wife and your kids. The only reason we stay in places that we don't really want to be in is because we don't understand it's safe to look elsewhere. We don't understand that it's okay that we'll be okay with another possibility. We don't understand that everything that needs to be taken care of can be taken care of if we follow our own knowing in the journey." We just need to see it's okay to play there."  Eventually, I'm drawn to do my taxes. I'm drawn to clean my toilet. You can be drawn to do things that you don't necessarily like to do. If you knew you were going to be just fine no matter what. Who knows if you would stay, go, or something in between. It's in the exploration. It's in the living life that the person can only see for themselves.  "What if you couldn't get it wrong? There's no right way."  Instead of trying to map out the best way to get to some place that you think will make everything okay. If there's no map I need to follow or no treasure out there I need to find to get it right and be okay. All that's left is now what. "All the categories on the calendar are made up. I decided to change them all to orange and now they are all labeled play."  Kids wouldn't play as long if they considered it work. Why do we as adults make it all work?  "We just need to see it's okay to play there." Kristy goes into her cycling days and talks about how she was taught to loosen her grip on the handlebars.  Eliminating the shoulds. There are no shoulds on a playground. You should tie your shoe. You don't have to get serious tying your shoes either. The serious is thinking there is a should.  What if we don't have to make up even to begin with what's good or bad? When I'm on the playground I'm not deciding what's good or bad. Stuff is going to happen, but I don't need to exclude any part of the experience or try to avoid it.  When you come home from the park you are not clean. You purposely wear old jeans and don't wear white, because we know we are going to get roughed up and dirty. As adults, we are worried about how the clothes will look and we don't want to get dirty or scrape our knees.  We are making up different colored jungle gyms. We are making up different jobs. When we are in flow or present we just know what to do. It's built into the playground.  Connect with Mer :  https://www.mermonson.com/ Connect with Kristy:  https://yourevolution.com/ You can join her next Coddiwomple Group Here: https://yourevolution.com/cn/

On this week's episode, I am joined by two incredible people with extremely different backgrounds, Mardoche Sidor, MD and Julia Sharp. Mardoche is a assistant professor of psychology at Columbia University. His background is extremely impressive including CEO and president of The Sweet Institute. Julia is a certified High Performance Coach, a Gallup Strengths Coach, and most recently an Energy Codes Coach. Her corporate background is very impressive as well including a fun piece as a certified raw holistic chef.  Our conversation has many valuable questions to answer and different exercises for you to try at home. We spoke about some famous examples of people that changed their lifestyles to increase their play. We really dove into the science behind having fun and why it comes so natural to us.  Today's word of the day is "consciousness." Please take a sip every time you hear one of us say the word consciousness. Today's food and drinks for thought is a deep one, "Who am I?"  Top Topics :  We are wired to have fun. Mardoche shares his experience of growing up where work was always important and fun wasn't the priority.  3 important questions : Who am I? Why am I here? What is life all about? Who am I below all the labels? Below the religion and political parties I follow. Play was once considered a waste of time. Now because I know what life is all about I know inside I am going to have fun.  Is life supposed to be that serious? If the answer is yes then there isn't going to be much time for fun.  You can still play without risking losing your job or without laughing the entire time. Play is more of being present.  Finding three words describe the best of who you are. Not about your profession or doing something. It's tuning in to who is the best of me and how do I want to show up.  "Thought creates our world and then says, 'I didn't do it.'" - David Bohm  Finding ways to get the job done while still having fun. You Do NOT have to think, "I can only play once the work is done."  Finding the unique harmony of matching play and work for you is so important.  Connect with Mardoche :  https://sweetinstitute.com/ When we recorded this book Mardoche was the author of five books. Since we recorded this he has released a sixth book titled, Art of Living.  You can find a copy of his book here : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091WL6B2Z/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_VW4Y71GN3TX9GABRZZWN?fbclid=IwAR01Fj4Rdbz4OpV_lxPnwzXH98Ki9TJpV1EQOYMj6F5gokX9IQ-NExkpI-A  Connect with Julia :  Her mission this year is to have more fun.  https://www.facebook.com/julia.sharp.315

On this week's episode, I was joined by two incredible transformative coaches from Italy. Nico and Daniel are two incredible transformational coaches. We spoke a lot through this conversation about our relationship with tension. We spoke about many different metaphors including rubber balls, car engines, and canvases. There is so much value that you will find packed within this conversation.  You will completely understand why they named their company Easier Coaching.  Today's word of the day is tension. If you are drinking along while listening please take a sip every time you hear one of us say the word "tension." Today's food and drink for thought is, "Where can you remove some of the unnecessary tension in your life?"  Top Topics :  What does life want from you?  Is there a place inside of us where we can make an impact effortlessly? When you end the day do you just feel like wow today was a breeze.  The lens is on seriousness. Playfulness is the default, it's about stopping making it serious.  Are we constipated with our creativity? In both cases if you're pushing too hard, there is something wrong.  If your goal is movement, why would you want to move with any unnecessary tension? Imagine driving your car with the emergency brake on. The car doesn't work at it's best when the emergency brake is on. The dashboard light turning red only makes sense if you know what that means. We work a similar way, until we connect the dots and know what it is. This feeling of seriousness and urgency can be our human dashboard light. Urgency is a sign that things are looking really serious or the stakes are high and that is the our human dashboard light on.  When you care about stuff there's a movement within you, that's just natural, so what you don't want is to add obstacles that slow you down.  We are not taking about just being a little bit scared. We are taking about a totally different thing.  Most people when you ask them would you like to get rid of your worry completely, to my shock they would say no. I just want a bit less of it. At some level we believe some of its good or helpful. There is no valid information from worry. When we start seeing that it's a game changer.  Spirituality becomes the canvas in which everything we experience in our life is created. Of course, we pay attention to the images and what is on the surface. Nothing can exist without the canvas. At the same time, The canvas is not that interesting if we paint nothing.  We were being invited by life on a different level of play.  Connect with Nico and Daniel the Wise : [email protected]

What happens when you put three improvisors into a zoom room? Well a whole lot. This week I'm joined by two hilarious improvisors Lauren Berning and Shannon Stott. These two ladies are up to incredible things including an awesome online summit that you will hear about throughout the conversation. They truly bring fun and play into everything they do. This conversation is so rich with valuable ideas, but also is absolutely ridiculous and hilarious. There are many different techniques shared from an improv perspective that you can practice right away. We took many twists and turns and went in many different directions took a few dirty turns, but we really covered some important topics. We discussed getting into the right creative space, being present, making choices, and bouncing back from failures.  Today's word of the day is "improv". Even if you've never taken a class or seen an improv show we do this every single day in our lives. If you are drinking while listening to this show please take a sip every time you hear the word improv. The food and drinks for thought is "how can I choose to bring improv into my world more today?"  Top Topics:  We have a different brain wavelength when we are in a creative space. It is our solution space. When you are trying to do a thing like find your keys, or fill our a spreadsheet you are in a different space. It's hard to complete the task when you are there. If we can get people into a different wavelength we can shift them into that solution, creative space. These ladies use the vehicle of improv to bring the fun especially in the corporate setting.  Using improv in jails and in therapy, because it makes us changes our brainwaves and emotional patterns. We can shift into a place where we can feel safe. In that safe space we can deal with or overcome trauma.  Teaching people to be cognizance. I get to choose how I engage with each moment.  Taking a moment outside and looking at a distance beyond the foot in front of you. Another activity is to point and name things (box, table, computer, etc.). If you take a moment and you point at things and name them out loud you are bringing your awareness to the actual present moment.  Improv teaches you the lesson of listening, supporting, sharing, and building on other people's ideas. It also shares that it's beneficial to support and uplift other's ideas.  Trying new things. The frontier that improvisors and artists had to adjust to going online. Think about the first person eating a pineapple or an oyster. Finding a new challenge, accepting it and then building on it.  How do you choose to come out of a failure? In improv, there is no failure. Not that means there aren't failures. The concept of a failure doesn't have to be a failure. We need to own it and learn from it. Be okay with and know that it's not forever.   You do have all of these choices available to us. Even in jail the one thing you can control is your mind. You might be in the six foot box, but is the six inches between your ears imprisoning you?  Pointing at what it is that you are fearing in the moments you are failing. If you could name those things then the failure starts to be easier to digest.  Learn more about the Creative Approach Summit:  https://www.creativeapproach.net/ https://www.instagram.com/creativeapproachsummit/ Connect with Lauren:  http://tbcimprov.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Lirr8WCljr7SwVd9wuNPA Connect with Shannon:  https://www.shannonstott.com/ https://www.instagram.com/shannonstott/

On this week's episode I am joined by Tina and Mac Dodds. Tina is a professional life coach, speaker, and retreat facilitator. She helps busy people live more and stress less.  Mac is health coach and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Certification. They have two sons and shared so many real examples of including fun in parenting, business, and life. They shared great stories of having fun with raking the leaves, doing the laundry, and walking in the rain. The conversation is so rich and filled with very practical ideas to add play and making that type of life contagious. These two are such fun people and you will hear that come out throughout this conversation. Today's word of the day is "chores." Every time you hear the word chores take a sip. Most of our conversation revolved around the idea of making chores fun, so why not turn that word into a game right off the bat. Food and drinks for thought, "How can you make a chore you don't like doing more fun?"  Top Topics  Play can be infectious. Kids are great reminders to tap into that playful spirit. When you're having fun it give permission to others to have fun as well.  Why do kids love puddles, but adults avoid them at all costs?  Play is a fluid thing. It doesn't have to be playing an actual game. It can be bring a playful attitude to anything.  Everything works better if you unplug it once in a while, including you.  It's hard to tap into the fun when you're not feeling your best. It's a good idea to have things ready to go like a good playlist or comedy clips on Youtube. Others need these too, so feel free to share your things with others. Changing your physiology helps get you out of your head and into your body. Moving your body is a great way to bring that.  Chores are not always fun, but how can you bring play into those chores that have to be done? What do you like? Why not focus on that to help get your healthy routine? Reminding yourself to enjoy this right now. Enjoy this client. Enjoy this meeting. Enjoy the now.  Playfulness is really opening yourself up to being present.  You enjoy the game less when you are worried about what's the next letter in our ABC game.  Connect with Tina :  https://www.tinadodds.com/ https://www.facebook.com/tina.dodds.3 Connect with Mac :  https://livegoodfitness.com/

On this week's episode, I was joined by a lovely married couple. They are doing very different things at this point Donna is a soul-centered life coach, and Paul is artist and his art lives in the space between dreaming and reality. They are both writers as well and have books that are out in the world and are coming out soon. These two have such a gorgeous way of expressing themselves and the work they are doing. We speak a lot about the ideas behind choices, aliveness, and where creativity comes from. This conversation is filled with so much value. There is so much to take away from these two amazing people.  Today's word of the day is aliveness. Whenever you hear this word please take a sip. Today's food and drinks for thought is a powerful question, "Is aliveness a choice?"  Top Topics:  When we're head down, nose to the grind stone, we are contracted and forcing our life. Nothing is getting in there. It's a paradigm shift to believe there is another way.  "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. " - Howard Thurman  If you love what you do other people are going to love it too.  There are a lot of choices that we get to make that we don't know we have the choice.  Being mindful of the inner dialogue going on in our heads. I can very easily have something take me down the road of fear or negativity. We can bring that point to neutral or positive.   "Do whatever feels most exciting to you at any moment." Following those things is so important even when society or your partner says those are a waste of time.  My thoughts and actions are moving me towards a higher sense of aliveness or they are not.  Removing the blocks from the awareness of love's presence.  We have the ability to choose aliveness, but if we are swimming around in the lower frequency of motions in shame, guilt, and hate it's hard to see it down there. When we can drop the story and move into a greater level acceptance in ourselves and the world around us then we move into an opening in which aliveness comes through us.  Creatives give themself space to allow inspiration to come through them. Allowing that "play" time gives yourself that space to appreciate everything around us.  Can the universe trick you into meditating?  Create space. In that space we allow the divine communicate with us. This is where our personality and ego can shut up for a minute, and we receive and hear what is coming through.  Why can people that smoke take smoke breaks, but people that don't smoke aren't allowed breaks?  "If you're in your head. Then you're not here with me." - Susan Messing  "The most valuable thing you could give someone is your presence."  "The things you're taking for granted someone else is praying for"  - Flowers on the Moon Donna Bond :  https://donnabond.com/ Join me in Donna's program Igniting Your Light. We've covered Acceptance and Personal Power already this year and there is so much more to explore throughout the rest of the year.  Paul Bond:  https://paulbondart.com/ I also have a copy of Paul's coffee table art book and it is absolutely beautiful. Please check it out and get yourself a copy. 

On this weeks episode, I was joined by two lovely women. Jenna finished her career as a nurse and had an epiphany that she should heal people with energy. Donna found herself working as a professional clown and from there created her coaching and art business. We had such an incredible conversation. Both of these ladies brought such an amazing reminder that life is a gift and finding the magic in life. It is all around us, and all we have to do is remember to look. Gratitude and finding the small things that make you happy was a common theme that came up so many times throughout this conversation. Keeping attention on your inspiration and what feels good for you. The big themes for this episode were continuing to look for magic, look for blessings, look for gratitude, and bring your energy to those things.  If you decided to continue playing our drinking game. The word for this episode is "magic". Take a sip every time one of us says magic. We even discussed a great quote from Tim Allen's Santa Clause movie. Food and drinks for thought "Does magic grow out of us?"  Top Topics :  Finding Magic in the Mundane. Finding Blessings in the Mundane.  You don't go to the movie to get to the end of a movie. You go to watch the movie. Well life is a movie.  "The purpose of life is joy." - Abraham Hicks  No news can help tremendously.  Finding something that feeds you: gardening, baking, art, or sports.  Putting self care at the front can support finding blessings in whatever work you're doing.  Changing the word "deadline" to "completion date" is a big energy shift.  Figuring out what works best for you. You don't have to be a "morning person" to be productive. Carve out something for yourself during your time. Everyone just wants to be loved and to love.  Finding fun and sharing joy with people.  No matter what work you do it's important to have things around me visibly that inspire me.  When your work environment feels good that can help.  Nitpick the little things that make you happy and find the things that bring you joy. Open up to allow these things to come to you more.  I'm so happy and thankful now that...  I'm beginning to...  Energy follows thought. If we think how shitty things are in the mundane we can keep that or can we think something new?  We don't have to put nail polish on the shit to make it look pretty. It's still shit. Notice it and don't do anything. Something new will occur to me.  If a grown up is willing to look for magic in the smallest mundane things it's right there. It doesn't go away. Open yourself up to seeing magic.  Don't go on a quest to find magic or you will drive yourself crazy. Look for the small magic that is around us every single day.  Get in Touch with the Guests:  Donna Hollinshead:  https://www.iamlivinglovinglaughing.com/ https://www.instagram.com/donnahollinshead/ Jenna DiMaggio: https://www.jennadimaggio.com/ https://www.instagram.com/iamjennadimaggio/

On this week's episode, I was joined by the incredible Jason Goldberg. We had such a fun conversation due to the fact we are both on the same journey to bring fun and play into the work that we do. We dove deep into the idea of not needing to solve emotions. There are no solutions to emotions, and how you could handle these situations moving forward. Jason discusses two great metaphors involving coins and dinner guests to help give you new perspectives on using energy and working with emotions. Check out Jason's one line business plan and life plan, as well. The conversation is extremely valuable and such good vibes. This is what the show is all about. Having fun, but having meaningful conversations to help change perspectives. I hope you enjoy! If you'd like to make this episode a drinking game the phrase for today is "unprecedented times." Every time you hear these words take a sip. The world is continuously changing, so technically aren't we always in "unprecedented times?" Here's a little food and drinks for thought...  Top Topics:  Comedy can really be the conduit to transformation.  If there's a little bit more of something you enjoy as a part of the "medicine" you're more likely to take the medicine. As we explore, Mary Poppins' famous spoonful of sugar line.  Is there still sincerity involved in what you're doing? If there is still sincerity then we don't need to be overly serious and the rest will take care of itself.  There's a difference between trivializing and humorizing. I never want to trivialize what anyone is going through because it's what they are going through. I want to bring humor to it. It's a powerful way to have resistance lowered around new ideas.  When people feel a little bit lighter they seem to do what to do next.  "Anger is an idiotic expression. You do idiotic shit when you're angry. This is a great reminder that you are feeling really angry right now you might do something idiotic."  Transformation is not for reserved for some special kind of person. It's reserved for all of us.  Would you chose a piece of chocolate or peace of mind?  Your emotions are not a problem to solve. There are no solutions to emotions. Can I allow my thoughts or emotions be, without being a nuisance? Do something small for someone else.  Can you add 5% more joy or remove 5% sorrow from everyone you meet?  Please connect with Jason Goldberg and give his podcast a listen:  https://www.facebook.com/TheJasonGoldberg https://www.instagram.com/thejasongoldberg/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jason-goldberg-is-ruining-podcasting-podcast/id1541754000

On this week's episode, I had an amazing conversation with two prominent figures in Cambodia. Chef Nak has a powerful mission to help preserve Cambodia's cuisine. She is an incredible leader, which you will be able to tell just from listening to this episode. She shares many powerful techniques and ideas of how to be a great leader. Joey Ra is an amazing human that I've had the pleasure of meeting in person and working with as my coach.  Our conversation really shifted to talking about the importance of the substance behind the person and being vulnerable. There is so many valuable moments throughout this entire conversation, so many value for leaders of all kinds.  Top Topics :  Finding the joy  Allowing the space for rest  Laughs along the way goes a long way.  My team needs to know they own the journey with me.  Trust takes time to build, but once it's there that's what facilitates everything.  It's not realistic to be whimsical and playful all the time. Those moments come when you build trust.  We don't joke around for the sake of it. We joke around to have fun because that's a great way to live life.  Having substance and being able to share that makes  Sharing your struggles with your team. Being open about where we are.  Don't expect, but accept.  In the ups and downs, be light and be deep.  Joey Ra http://www.joeyra.com/ https://www.facebook.com/JoeyRa Chef Nak  https://www.facebook.com/ratanakcla/ https://chefnak.com/